Skydiving company facing charges over midair collision

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

The owner of a skydiving company has been charged in relation to a midair crash of two planes near Masterton last year.

The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand has brought three charges of “exposing individuals to risk, harm and illness” against Marty Lloyd and his company Sky Sports [NZ] Ltd following the crash which killed the pilots of both aircraft.

The wreckage of the Cessna 185 belonging to Skydive Wellington near the southern approach to Hood Aerodrome in June last year.

Joshua Christensen, 20, was flying a Cessna 185 belonging to Lloyd’s Skydive Wellington and Craig McBride, 66, of Wairarapa Aero Club was flying the club’s Tecnam trainer when the two planes collided just south of Hood Aerodrome on June 16.

The McBride family said they preferred not to comment while the case was before the courts.

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Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Mike Richards confirmed that they had laid charges.

“On 15 June 2020, CAA filed charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015) against Sky Sports (NZ) Ltd as a PCBU and Mr Lloyd as an officer/director of the PCBU in connection with a mid-air collision at Hood Aerodrome.”

Lloyd was due to appear in Masterton District Court next month on three charges.

Friends of Lloyd have established a Givealittle page to raise funds for his defence.

Fundraising organiser Stuart Bean said they believed the CAA’s actions were “an unjust prosecution against a small aviation operator”.

“Marty needs our help to engage support from legal professionals with experience in aviation law. He needs to at least be able to defend himself.”

According to the page, Lloyd started skydiving in 1970 and set up his independent skydiving operation, Skysports (NZ) Ltd, commonly known as Skydive Wellington, in 1991.

Lloyd has been approached for comment.